Farmers across East Gippsland and eastern Victoria are reporting increasing pressure from pest animals, with peak agricultural representatives calling for stronger and more coordinated government intervention.
The Agricultural Sector Advisory Committee (ASAC) says rising populations of deer, feral pigs, wild dogs and dingoes are contributing to ongoing livestock losses, pasture damage and rising control costs for producers across the region.
The committee has acknowledged recent Victorian Government funding for wild pig management as a positive step, but says longer-term and better-coordinated investment is needed to address the scale of the issue.
Farmers have reported a range of impacts, including regular stock losses, damage to fencing and pasture, and increased expenditure on control measures. In some cases, producers say ongoing pressures are affecting business viability.
ASAC says it has been gathering feedback from landholders to highlight the lived experience of farming communities and identify gaps in monitoring, control programs and cross-border coordination.
ASAC member Eddie Mauger said the situation was placing significant strain on rural communities.
“Farmers are exhausted, financially burdened and facing daily uncertainty,” Mr Mauger said.
“Pest animals are not a fringe issue – they are undermining food production, threatening regional jobs and impacting the mental health of entire communities.”
He said government action needed to reflect the scale and persistence of the problem.
ASAC is calling for improved coordination between states, particularly with New South Wales, along with long-term funding aligned to pest population trends. The group is also seeking expanded feral pig control programs, strengthened wild dog management tools, and improved monitoring systems shared across agencies and landholders.
It has also raised concerns about the social impacts of pest pressures on farming families, including mental health challenges associated with ongoing losses and financial stress.
Landholders have told ASAC that current programs can be fragmented and under-resourced, despite the availability of established control methods and technologies used in other regions.
Case studies collected by the committee point to repeated losses of lambs, calves and working dogs, as well as ongoing costs associated with property repairs and predator control.
ASAC says farmers are seeking practical and sustained support to manage pest impacts and maintain agricultural production, rather than short-term responses.
“Our communities are ready to work with all levels of government, but we need policy certainty, adequate resourcing and a coordinated, whole-of-landscape approach,” Mr Mauger said.
For further information or interviews, ASAC is directing enquiries through its agricultural support channels.
